HANDGUN DRILLS

If you have attended any of our classes, you are part of the Zenith Defense Team. I want to ensure you can turn back to Zenith Defense for information on gear, laws, as well as personal defense training tips for your mind and body. That is why I want to provide you all with a 'one stop shop' for range and dry fire drills. I will do my best to constantly update this list with drills as I develop them, or are introduced to new ones. If you have not yet taken a training class with us, consider getting professional training with us. In the meantime, here are some complementary drills for you to practice on your own. Continue to sharpen your mind and skills!

** Remember your safety rules whenever handling your firearm, but especially when attempting to learn a new drill. This is critical for drills involving movement such as drawing from a holster. The best method is to take it slow, with dry fire prior to running the drill with live ammunition. Break the drill down step by step and gradually add speed as you become comfortable with the drill. Speed will come after learning and engraining proper technique.

** If you are running dry-fire drills, please ensure your firearm is unloaded and no ammunition is present in the area.

Building muscle memory and fluidity to the way you present your firearm

Building muscle memory and fluidity to the way you establish your grip

HOW TO RUN THE DRILL:

With an unloaded firearm, pick out a point on the wall

Secure your gun in it's holster. If you carry in multiple methods, holsters or firearms, this drill should be done with each gun, holster, and method of cary

From a natural stance, draw your firearm, present it at the target and squeeze the trigger

The draw process is this: ​

Clear the overgarment and establish grip (ensure finger is along the frame of the firearm)

Draw firearm straight up, and as soon as the muzzle clears the holster, rotate muzzle toward target (once the firearm is rotated toward the threat, if you have a manual external safety, you should be disengaging the safety)

Begin extending the firearm toward the threat while establishing your two handed grip

At any point after step 2 and before or during step 3, if you make the conscious decision that deadly force is justified, you may move your finger off the frame, into the trigger guard, and press the trigger

Work on this drill slowly by the numbers and gradually build in speed

Work on trigger press from different points between step 3 and 4

Work on scanning for other threats/reassessing the effectiveness of your shots after shooting, and not immediately re-holstering or putting the firearm down

BUILDING ON THE DRILL:

Work on adding movement to your draw. (lateral movement is best, working toward cover and creating distance or angles on your target)

Work on one hand strong side draw

Work on one hand opposite/weak hand draw

Add in a timer with PAR time. Set a PAR time for 2 seconds, and see if you can successfully draw, present and squeeze a well aimed shot in that time. Gradually decrease your PAR time while maintaining proper technique.

** DON'T BE SLOPPY. USE GOOD TECHNIQUE. PRACTICING BAD TECHNIQUE IS PRACTICING BAD HABITS. AS ALWAYS, SPEED WILL COME WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE **

DRY-FIRE MOVEMENT/FOOT SKILLS

WHAT THE DRILL IS FOR:

Working on adding movement to your skill set

Movement is critical in creating space, angles and making you a more difficult target

HOW TO RUN THE DRILL:

Work on lateral (sideways) movement. Backward movement may seem the best, but against a charging attacker, backward movement puts you at a disadvantage. You cannot move backwards, faster than your attacker can charge forward. Lateral movement is best for creating space and changing your attackers angle of attack

Work on taking controlled lateral steps in a 'sliding method'

Foot comes off the ground slightly

Step comfortably to the side (do not over extend)

Plant foot, and then move other foot in similar fashion

You can only move as quickly as you can shoot accurately. Do not try to jump or move too quickly at first, as this will likely effect your firearm presentation technique and cause you to sacrifice technique for speed

The goal of movement is to create distance, or angles which relates to added time to respond to the threat, and/or to move to cover

Live fire slow fire trigger reset drill

WHAT THE DRILL IS FOR:

Drill is very good for shooters who slap the trigger or let their finger become disconnected from the trigger after every shot. Have a friend video your trigger finger while you shoot to catch this habit

Controlling trigger reset will allow you to fire quicker follow up shots and remain more accurate while doing so

Controlling trigger reset with help in reducing movement of your firearm during the trigger squeeze

HOW TO RUN THE DRILL:

At any distance, fire one slow fire shot

Keep the trigger depressed fully after the shot breaks

Count to 'two one-thousand' and then SLOWLY begin releasing the trigger forward

When you feel/hear the trigger click (reset) stop releasing the trigger

Slowly pull the trigger and fire another slow fire shot

Repeat the drill until you do not have to consciously remind yourself to keep the trigger depressed to the rear

LIVE FIRE CONTROLLABILITY DRILL

WHAT THE DRILL IS FOR:

Identifying your ability to manage recoil and get your gun back on target in between shots during rapid fire.

Is a good method to identify if you are spending too much time focusing on your gun sights at close distances.

Can give you quantitative feedback on the time needed for you to engage a threat

HOW THE DRILL IS RAN:

Have at least 3 rounds in your firearm.

Your target will be an 8x10 sheet of paper folded in half or about an 8" circle target (paper plate works well)

Drill is ran at 3 yards or 9 feet (can adjust distance as you see fit)

The drill is started with the shooter either coming from the holster or

live fire 2 x 2 x 2 drill

WHAT THE DRILL IS FOR:

Work on speed and accuracy

Applying all fundamentals while under time constraint

Apply skills from normal mode of carry

HOW THE DRILL IS RAN:

Have at least 3 rounds in your firearm

Your target will be an 3"x5" note card

Drill is ran at 20 feet

The drill is started with the shooter carrying the firearm in their normal mode of concealed carry

The shooter has 2 seconds to draw the firearm, and fire two shots on the 3"x5" card

The drill is a pass/fail drill with two hits in 2 seconds needed to pass the drill

The drill is started with the shooter carrying the firearm in their normal mode of concealed carry

The shooter has 5 seconds to draw the firearm, and fire five shots on the 5" circle

The drill is a pass/fail drill with 5 hits in 5 seconds needed to pass the drill

live fire E&P Alternating target area drill

WHAT THE DRILL IS FOR:

Work on speed and accuracy

Applying all fundamentals while under time constraint

Changing eye level of the shooter

keeping mental focus over an extended drill

HOW THE DRILL IS RAN:

Fill all magazines to capacity

Your target will be a half sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in the high center chest area, and a 1/4 of the 8 1/2" x 11" paper in the head/face area

Drill is ran at 5 yards

Drill is 2 rounds fired, for 20 repetitions

The drill is started with the shooter carrying the firearm in the high, compressed ready

The shooter fires 2 rounds in the chest, scan the area then come back to the high, compressed ready. The next repetition is firing two shots at the head, scan the area and return to the high, compressed ready

The drill continues for 20 repetitions or 40 total shots

The shooter should total 20 hits in each zone of 100% hit rate to pass the drill​